BBC asks: Will we ever…stop driving petrol-powered cars? The post says no and gives its explanation for why the internal combustion engine will be with us for a long time to come. On the same topic we have edmundswith Internal-Combustion Engine Not Going Way of Rumble Seat, Study Finds and The Star-Phoenix posting Report says internal-combustion engine to endure. The report/study is by the American National Petroleum Council which concludes the internal combustion engine will remain the dominant power source for cars until at least 2050. Given the infancy of alternative fuels, it will take some kind of “disruptive innovation” to knock the internal-combustion engine from its perch, the report states. These technologies include advanced natural gas and hydrogen storage technologies that reduce costs; genetic engineering to increase yields and decrease biofuel prices; new battery chemistry for electric vehicles, and the ability to create lightweight vehicles that are more fuel efficient. See also The Future Of Fuel, Imagined By The Oil And Gas Industry at Co-EXIST which challenges the report’s conclusions.

Torque News tells us clean diesel is continuing on a fast pace in the US. “Clean diesel sales are up 27.5 percent in the United States so far in 2012, continuing year-on-year trends of fast growth, outpacing all other alternative fuel options on the market…Only gasoline-electric hybrids have shown a faster growth rate in terms of sales this year.” Turbo direct injected (TDI) engines from Volkswagen and Audi are leading the clean diesel charge.

China has its first solar-powered hybrid buses notes Clean Technica. The buses are powered by solar panels, which are expected to increase the life of the lithium batteries used in the bus by 35 years. The buses were launched in the city of Qiqihar in north-east China’s Heilongjiang province. The buses can accommodate 100 passengers and consume 0.6 to 0.7 kilowatt-hours of electricity per kilometer.

A Chinese-made EV is now available in the US for $10,000says autoevolution. A new company called Alvarez Electric Motors Company has just launched 3 EVs. They include a small two seater, called the Eco-E, a small pick-up truck called the EcoTruck, and a van named the EcoVan. The Eco-E, the least expensive, sells for $9,995 (€8,100), while the EcoTruck and EcoVan are a little higher, at $16,995 (€13,800) and $17,995 (€14,600) respectively. The vehicles have a range of between 25 and 40 miles (40 and 64 km) and their top speed is limited to 25 mph (40 km/h). (A golf cart, by comparison, has a top speed of less than 15 mph or 24 km/h.)

just-auto finds EVs are penetrating the market rapidly to constitute 35% of the cars made globally in 2025 – probably 25% hybrids and 10% pure EVs. “Any motor manufacturer without a compelling line-up of electric vehicles is signing its death warrant.”

nitrobahn directs us toFord’s new MyFordMobile App which identifies more than 9000 EV charging stations in the US for Ford drivers. The app is updated daily and helps find nearby charging stations.